South Carolina Baptist pastors and leaders converged at Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia, SC, for a time of equipping and encouragement at IMPACT.

Breaking records with 1,284 in attendance, IMPACT is the South Carolina Baptist Convention’s largest gathering of SCBaptists. This year’s theme was “Climb Together,” emphasizing the need to “rely on each other and the Lord for support and guidance to reach new heights.”  

“SCBaptists do not climb alone, we climb together,” said Lee Clamp Associate Executive Director-Treasurer, to kick off session one. “But if you’re going to climb Mount Everest, it’s one step at a time, but the most important step may be the first.” 

Living on Mission

Jeff Iorg, President/CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee spoke during session one. He emphasized that no one is exempt from God’s mission, and we get to touch eternity when we witness someone going from death to life. “God’s eternal mission demands our sacrifice, our affliction, our commitment. God’s eternal mission is worth it, and I call you to it this morning in a fresh way in South Carolina and around the world,” he said.

Attendees also heard a powerful testimony of resilience and faith from Kevan Chandler, author, speaker, and founder of the nonprofit We Carry Kevan. Chandler, born with spinal muscular atrophy, has spent his life overcoming extraordinary challenges. In 2016, he and his friends took a backpacking trip across Europe, leaving his wheelchair at home, and his friends carried him for three weeks. Chandler emphasized that he has basic needs that he can’t fulfill alone. “Need is not a sin,” he said. “It would seem that [God] doesn’t just put up with need, he actually delights in it,” said Chandler.  

Chandler said that if our needs point us to God then why can’t our needs also point others to him. He concluded, “I want you to see the wonderful glory that I get to see from here, curled up in His arms.” 

Evangelism Emphasis

Tony Wolfe, SCBaptist Executive Director-Treasurer emphasized the need to continue to reach outside the walls of the church with the Gospel. “Four out of five people in your neighborhood won’t attend an evangelical church this Sunday,” he said. This push for evangelistic outreach is underscored by the Give+Go Initiative, a holistic initiative that challenges SCBaptists to increase evangelistic engagement and Cooperative Program investment in 2025.

To help churches reach the unreached, IMPACT provided practical tools to equip attendees for ministry in their communities, including free evangelism kits and opportunities to develop personalized outreach plans. SCBaptist provided evangelism kits from the North American Mission Board using the 3 Circles method designed to assist pastors in leading a multi-week evangelism emphasis for their church.

Attendees could also receive a free “Ask Me About Jesus” t-shirt by filling out a form detailing their church’s evangelism plan. This initiative allows SCBaptist to follow up with churches needing guidance in creating a plan or provide support for existing evangelism efforts, ensuring ongoing encouragement beyond the event.

Ministry Equipping

Attendees also had the opportunity to dive deeper into specific ministry areas through 52 breakout sessions. Covering topics like sermon preparation, leadership, church revitalization, prayer, women’s ministry, and more, these sessions provided practical tools and encouragement for leaders to take back to their communities.  

One attendee, Maya Argo, a freshman at Anderson University, participated in the women’s ministry break-out session. She said, “It was so encouraging to hear from women who are passionate and not complacent. It’s inspiring to know that there is a way that we can not only honor the Lord and the roles he established, but we can actually shine in them.” She continued, “I am inspired to be an able worker in women’s ministry!” 

Ben Johns, pastor at Indian Christian Church, said he attended a breakout session for ethnic pastors and leaders. He said they gathered together and planned great ministries ahead. “We [ethnic pastors] are willing to step up to be more faithful stewards, and this conference is helping us to regenerate ourselves, [and] transform ourselves to what we need to be in the days to come” he said.  

But more than mere intellectual knowledge, the breakout sessions created community. “I was just very encouraged by the body of believers in that room. Several of them came up and talked to me after because I had shared a personal story in the breakout” said Jordan Bezek, who attended a breakout about practical evangelism. 

Encouragement to Continue

For many leaders, this event was a reminder and an encouragement to continue the good work in their communities to hold the rope for others. Jay Worthington, senior pastor of North Conway Baptist Church, shared that his church is climbing together for the Gospel through supporting local church plants. “We’re trying to focus on them, give them use of our space, our budget, partnering with them in events, and just helping share the load of reaching our city for Christ,” he said. 

As IMPACT 2025 came to a close, pastors and leaders left encouraged, reminded of their mission, and strengthened by the fellowship of fellow laborers in the Gospel. Next year’s IMPACT, set for February 19, promises to continue equipping South Carolina Baptists to climb together toward greater Kingdom impact. 

This article was a collaborative effort by Anna Gardner, Creative Editor for SCBaptist, and Mary Margaret Flook, Social Media Manager and Staff Writer for The Baptist Courier.